Discover... Yaseen
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Image supplied by Artist
It’s always exciting to find new music which, on hearing it, encourages you to visualise what you’re hearing. Canadian-based artist Yaseen is someone who does this effortlessly with dream-like vocals and a mixture different production styles from ‘80s inspired beats to those with a hint of R&B and Hip Hop.
When he was younger, he used to create art pieces and write poetry, the latter of which is evidence today that Yaseen has unknowingly honed his lyrical ability, over time. Learning more about Yaseen the artist, it’s clear that he’s introverted and this explains his enigmatic presence on Instagram.
Inspired by Canada-natives: Drake, The Weeknd and British artist: Sampha, Yaseen has a specific lane of influence he leans on.
WFA spoke to Yaseen in Autumn 2020 about his artistic process, his (then) upcoming EP “Summer Beach House” and much more.
~ Interview split into 2 parts ~
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PART I
Who is Yaseen the artist?
An artist who’s driven by raw emotion and conflicting moods that we have throughout our day. Inspired by our thoughts from when the sun rises to the actions we take after dark. Yaseen is someone who views making music the same way as putting together an art gallery, someone who loves putting you at the intersection of being in your feelings and not knowing whether to act on them, or to let them be.
How has growing up in Canada shaped your sound as an artist?
Growing up in Canada has always been a huge blessing that I will forever be grateful for. Canada is a place I personally believe has been, and will be at the forefront of music for a very long time to come. One thing that I always appreciated from the artists here is the musical sound that they push forth; you hear artists here and you really know that they're not shy of pioneering their own sound regardless of what anyone has to say about it. So when you're surrounded by an environment full of artists paving their own way, it pushes you to do the same as well. Crafting my own sound is something I believe I’m mountains away from, but I’ll get there one day.
You’ve released a few tracks in the past year, what was your favourite to make and why?
Definitely “Call for Me”. It was made after a long and gruelling night of falling short of making any records. It was around 9 am when I decided to open up some beats someone had forwarded to me and I heard this instrumental and everything just clicked for me in the moment. I ended up recording it all in one sitting. A big reason why it's my favourite is that I actually had a very close friend of mine do some background vocals and adlibs on the song; someone who’s an extremely talented artist and singer. I loved what they did so much it was actually the reason the song even came out.
What is your creative process like?
Honestly I feel like my creative process is actually having no real process at all. I do things to stay creatively active and I try to express myself through art forms such as poetry, painting and other art mediums but most importantly I just do what really feels right to me, whether it's taking time off, deciding to write, or even being in the studio for the whole night. I just go by what I truly feel is best for me at the moment. I think having that freedom and allowing yourself to be free creatively can be really beneficial for whatever craft it is you’re aiming to perfect.
We’d like to talk about the one which really caught our attention: Need Me. You’ve embedded a sample made famous by Jay-Z and Beyonce (‘03 Bonnie & Clyde). What was the inspiration behind the track and adding in this sample?
The instrumental was actually made by this amazing producer that goes by the name LONESOME. I had just stumbled upon it on social media and the sample really stuck out to me. ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde used to be on repeat for me back in the day and Jay Z & Beyoncé are big inspirations for me, so at the time it only felt right to try and see what I could do with this classic sample. I'm happy it has caught your attention though, maybe it means I did something a little right.
Has Quarantine affected your creativity at all and if so, how have you taken time to just relax your mind?
I've always been more introverted and a stay at home type of person so I wouldn’t say that it really had an affect on me personally. It gave me some more time to really look at and reflect on who I am and where I’m headed as a person. However I do know there are people out there who have been really affected by the quarantine and I hope things can get back to the way they used to be sooner than later.
If you could work with any Canadian artist: either upcoming or more established, who would that be and why?
Definitely Illangelo, an artist who’s actually from my city who has helped create some of my favourite records from my favourite artists. His music truly feels multi-dimensional at times and his sound selection and manipulation is a level I strive to reach one day. Another artist I would love to work with would be OVO 40, his work is truly amazing. I'm a huge fan of him and what he does. He’s someone who’s a true genius in his own right and helped propel music creation forward. Both of these guys are definitely artists who have an extremely unique ear and sound to their music. They both have really changed the way I approach and view music creation and I would love to talk to them and really pick their brain to learn some valuable things from them.
If you could describe success in one word/phrase, what would it be?
Never look back. Each day that passes we are either closer to, or farther away from our goals. You can’t change what happened in the past but you can still dictate your future, and the only way to do that is to just stay in the moment and work through each day. Learn from your past to grow and never stay stuck in it. Also, never let anyone dictate what success is for you, everyone is unique to themselves and we all have different aims and goals in life, so it's crucial to never let anyone dictate what your personal success should be. Be successful in what you truly want, not what you think others want from you.
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PART II
Summer Beach House: The EP
Why did you decide to create this project?
I wanted to make a great embodiment of artwork so people can look at it and say “oh, this is Yaseen”. If you look at me as an artist, this is what you’re going to remember, hopefully. I wanted to put it out there so people could get to know me. Also, I was looking around my city and there weren’t many artists who were dropping albums or EPs like that. There is definitely a lot of talent in my city but I wanted to inspire others too to make music like this.
In terms of the title of the project: what is Summer Beach House?
Summer Beach House is kind of like my goal in a sense. When I think I’ve made is if I can ever have a house on the beach. Also, Summer Beach House is symbolic, I’m trying to invite you into my house and invite you into what I’ve been through.
From song to song, you exhibit vocal versatility in terms of your tone, talk to us more about you learning more about your voice in the last few years.
No one in my family is very musical, so when I was trying to learn to sing, it was super difficult.
If you ever hear my first project (which is not on platforms), you can tell that I’m off pitch — it’s so bad. The blessing in that is, I had to really learn about my voice. Through practising what I want to sound like, I just got a natural feel to how I wanted to sound.
You created a film to go alongside the EP, did you have the themes in mind already before any songs were made or did this come afterwards?
While making the project, in my mind I really wanted a nice visual whether that was a music video or a short film. But after the project was made, I was thinking of making a music video. In the end, it became a short film. For some parts, we were just shooting a bunch of clips on the way to the set.
The outcome feels super authentic; I have no regrets.
Earlier you spoke about your mysteriousness online and can I just say you are the most mysterious person I follow on instagram. Did you consciously think of channelling your mysterious persona into the project?
It’s kind of how I am in person. My social media is just reflective of my personality; I just do what I feel.
I just want it to be about the music you know? And it’s hard when you’re promoting the music because you’ve got to be this [visible] figure. So I'm just trying to find a balance of being that person but also a shadow which is where I want to be.
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